Performance of broiler progeny of breeder flocks vaccinated with inactivated oil emulsion malabsorption syndrome virus vaccine.

Broiler breeder pullets were vaccinated at 20 to 24 weeks of age with an inactivated, oil emulsion vaccine containing the CO8 strain of avian reovirus. The vaccination induced a high and uniform antibody response that peaked 4 to 5 months postvaccination and persisted up to 11 months postvaccination. Broiler production parameters in progeny of vaccinated breeders were compared weekly with parameters of the total broiler production. There was a consistent improvement in body weight at processing time and a reduction in total production cost in progeny of vaccinated parents. There was also a reduction of percent of parts condemned during the first part of the trial. There were no consistent differences in feed conversion or condemnation of whole carcasses. Progeny of vaccinated parents had reduced livability. This effect was interpreted to be due to the smaller egg size of young breeder flocks.